Re: SpaceX is a go for April 30th: 1st commercial launch to space stat

^ IIRC, the capsule is still being assembled in Texas and hasn't even been shipped to the pad yet. The COTS-2 configuration is ever so slightly different from the operational Cargo carrier configuration, with the biggest difference being the two or three tons of cargo squeezed into the trunk and the capsule each (cargo which, I do not know that spacex has actually received yet).

With real cargo on board the cargo manifest seems long. Although it's pretty light – 400 kg only. The heavy stuff will be the next time. And Europe has two small payloads up and two small payloads in this one.

Re: SpaceX is a go for April 30th: 1st commercial launch to space stat

BTW, this mission will also set a record for lowest cost per pound of cargo to LEO. The COTS contract with SpaceX is, if I recall, $1.6 billion for 12 missions, or $133 million per launch. They're delivering 1,000 pounds of cargo and then returning 2,000 pounds of cargo, for a net delivered to LEO of -1000 pounds.

Whereas NASA was struggling to break the +$5,000 per pound barrier, SpaceX just broke the negative $133,000 a pound barrier. Yes, that's less than nothing!

Re: SpaceX is a go for April 30th: 1st commercial launch to space stat

I don't think that's how he works, or at least that's my impression.

The vultures are circling and over at Rand Simberg's blog "reader" posted

reader:
They don’t have a spotless record, and very few flights. What else does a customer really need to know.

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Probably looking to gain customer share.

I replied with

George Turner October 7, 2012, 10:22 pm

That the Falcon 9 delivers the payload to its appointed orbit through rain, sleet, wind, and dark of night. That neither fire nor explosion will divert it from its task. A Falcon rocket can’t be stopped, can’t be reasoned with. It takes horrendous damage without flinching and just recomputes the optimal strategy to carry out its mission. It isn’t like other rockets that disintegrate when they get hit with styrofoam or blow up when their rubber O-rings get the shivers. It never falters. It never stands down. It doesn’t feel pain. It doesn’t know fear, and it doesn’t feel remorse as it drives its competitors into bankruptcy

Once SpaceX figures out how to disguise 157 foot Falcon 9′s as the Stay Puft Marshmallow man and send them walking through our cities, it’s game over.

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Whatever aerospace firm he works for, I hope he reads it and something in the back of his brain gives him a flashback to the days his dad worked for Wang, Unisys, Daa General, or DEC and asked why anyone would buy an unproven toy computer from a garage startup called Apple.